Back Pain Exercises

Back pain exercises can relieve discomfort by strengthening muscles and improving range of motion through stretching. Working with your spine specialist, you may get pain relief from the following exercises that can be done at home in just a few minutes.

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The muscles surrounding your spine, especially in the lower back, work something like a brace to add support and help keep your body upright. Strengthening the muscles allows your body to do the work of a brace.

Norton Leatherman Spine Back & Neck Pain Clinics are designed to provide comprehensive care. The multidisciplinary team of medical providers has expertise in surgical and nonsurgical management of back and neck pain.

Range of Motion Exercises

Lower Trunk Rotations

Lie on your back with your knees bent. Gently move your knees side to side in a pain-free range. Repeat 20 times each way.

A patient demonstrates a lower trunk rotation to the right back pain exercise.

A patient demonstrates a lower trunk rotation to the left back pain exercise.

Single Knee to Chest Stretch

While lying on your back, use your hands to gently pull one knee toward your chest. Your other knee should be straight. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds, and repeat three times on each side.

Hamstring Stretch

While lying on your back, lift one leg straight up in the air. Keep the other leg on the floor. Either use your hands behind your knee to straighten your knee or use a long towel or sheet on your foot to pull your knee straight. You should feel the stretch in the back of the thigh. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds, and repeat three times on both sides.

A patient demonstrates the second part of the hamstring stretch

Piriformis Stretch

While lying on your back, bend both knees. Cross one leg over the opposite knee. Gently push the knee of the crossed leg forward until a pain-free stretch is felt. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds, and repeat three times on each side.

Quadriceps Stretch

While lying on your side, reach back and hold your top foot while bending your knee until a stretch is felt in the front of the thigh. Be sure to keep your back straight. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds, and repeat three times on each side.

Strengthening Exercises

Gluteal Sets

While lying on your back, squeeze your buttocks and hold for five seconds. Repeat 15 times as tolerated.

Posterior Pelvic Tilts

While lying on your back, bend both knees. Tighten your stomach muscles and rotate both hips so that you flatten your low back against the floor. Keep your hips on the floor. Hold for five seconds, and repeat 15 times as tolerated.

A patient demonstrates posterior pelvic tilts pressing down

Transverse Abdominus Set

While lying on your back, bend both knees. Place your thumbs on your stomach just inside your hip bones to feel the muscle contract. Activate your abdominals by pulling your belly button to your spine. Hold for five seconds, and repeat 15 times as tolerated.

Bridges

While lying on your back, tighten your transverse abdominus (as above) and buttocks to raise your buttocks off the floor. Slowly lower your buttocks back down. Repeat 15 times as tolerated.

A patient demonstrates the second part of the bridges back pain excercise

Clamshells

While lying on your side, bend your knees and hips a little less than 90 degrees. Keeping the feet together, lift the top knee toward ceiling without rolling backward. Slowly lower the knee down to the start position. Be sure to keep your back straight. Repeat 15 times on each side as tolerated.

A patient demonstrates the second part of the clamshells back pain exercise.

Spine Care From World-renowned Specialists

Norton Leatherman Spine is a world-renowned program delivering groundbreaking care and treatment for back, neck and spine conditions and procedures.

Nationally recognized spine surgery fellowship program with over 150 trained fellows
First in the world to perform robotic spine surgery using the Medtronic Mazor X Stealth Edition, demonstrating leadership in surgical innovations
First health system in the nation to be recognized as an Advanced Orthopedic & Spine Center of Excellence by DNV
First in the state of Kentucky to use the EOS Imaging system, a high-resolution image system with 50% to 85% less radiation exposure than traditional X-rays and CT scans
More than 4,000 surgeries performed each year
Recognized as a national benchmark for patient-reported outcome measures against spine surgeons across the nation, ensuring high-quality, data-driven care
A team of 45 highly regarded specialists, including orthopedic spine surgeons, neurosurgeons and pain management specialists
Internationally recognized leaders in clinical research of spinal disease, injury and deformity, opioid management, spine surgical innovations, scoliosis and more
Specialists who have served in senior positions in the Scoliosis Research Society, the prestigious organization for scoliosis surgeons around the world
Kenton D. Leatherman, M.D., the program namesake, was the first doctor in Kentucky to repair scoliosis surgically